Rain Sensor Description; Operation; Standard Procedure; Rain Sensor Bracket Replacement - Dodge Sprinter 2006 Manual

8R - 12 WIPERS/WASHERS
RAI N SEN SOR
DESCRIPTION
Fig. 6 Rain Sensor
1 - HEADLINER
2 - TROUGH
3 - WINDSHIELD
4 - RAIN SENSOR
5 - MIRROR
Th e r a in sen sor pr ovides t h e pr im a r y in pu t for t h e
opt ion a l a u t om a t ic wiper syst em (F ig. 6). Th e r a in
sen sor is loca t ed on t h e in side of t h e win dsh ield,
wh er e it is con cea led wit h in t h e m olded pla st ic t r im
cover t h a t sn a ps over t h e ba se of t h e r ea r view m ir-
r or a r m . Th e sen sor fit s wit h in t h e cen t er of a r in g-
like m olded pla st ic br a cket t h a t is glu ed t o t h e in side
of t h e win dsh ield gla ss a n d t h a t a lso ser ves a s t h e
su ppor t for t h e r ea r view m ir r or.
Th e r a in sen sor is con t a in ed wit h in a cir cu la r
m olded bla ck pla st ic h ou sin g wit h a sh or t pigt a il
wir e a n d a con n ect or in su la t or con t a in in g t h r ee t er-
m in a l ca vit ies t h a t exit s on e side of t h e h ou sin g. Th is
pigt a il con n ect s t h e r a in sen sor t o t h e veh icle elect r i-
ca l syst em t h r ou gh a dedica t ed t a ke ou t a n d con n ec-
t or of t h e over h ea d wir e h a r n ess t h a t ext en ds fr om
a bove t h e h ea dlin er. A m olded pla st ic t r ou gh r ou t es
a n d con cea ls t h e pigt a il wir es on t h e in side of t h e
win dsh ield bet ween t h e r ea r view m ir r or ba se a n d
t h e h ea dlin er.
Th e win dsh ield side of t h e r a in sen sor h ou sin g is
open , bu t cover ed wit h a clea r gela t in -like m a t er ia l
t h a t pr ot ect s t h e in t er n a l elect r on ic sen sor cir cu it r y
a n d ser ves a s t h e len s for t h e In fr a Red (IR) diodes
a n d ph ot ocells wit h in t h e sen sor h ou sin g. Th is gel
coa t in g m u st n ever be t ou ch ed or t h e r a in sen sor
fu n ct ion m a y be im pa ir ed a n d t h e u n it r en der ed
u n u sa ble. Th e r a in sen sor ca n n ot be a dju st ed or
r epa ir ed a n d, if da m a ged or fa u lt y, t h e en t ir e sen sor
m u st be r epla ced. Th e sen sor br a cket a n d a r ea r view
m ir r or a dh esive kit a r e a va ila ble for sepa r a t e ser vice
r epla cem en t .
OPERA TION
Th e r a in sen sor oper a t es on ba t t er y cu r r en t a n d a
clea n gr ou n d r eceived fr om t h e r a in sen sor con t r ol
m odu le. Th e r a in sen sor con t a in s In fr a Red (IR)
diodes t h a t dir ect IR ligh t bea m s a t t h e win dsh ield
a t a n a n gle. Wh en t h e win dsh ield gla ss is dr y, m ost
of t h is IR ligh t is r eflect ed ba ck t o t h e sen sor, wh ich
u ses ph ot ocell r eceiver s t o m ea su r e t h e in t en sit y of
t h e ligh t . Wh en m oist u r e a ccu m u la t es on t h e win d-
sh ield gla ss, m u ch of t h e IR ligh t is r efr a ct ed a wa y
fr om t h e ph ot ocell r eceiver s. Th is ca u ses ch a n ges in
t h e sign a l ou t pu t of t h e r a in sen sor. Th e r a in sen sor
con t r ol m odu le m on it or s t h e sign a l ou t pu t fr om t h e
sen sor a n d t h en con t r ols t h e wiper m ot or speed a n d
wipe in t er va ls a ccor din gly.
It is im por t a n t t o n ot e t h a t t h e defa u lt con dit ion
for t h e wiper syst em is a u t om a t ic wiper s Off; t h er e-
for e, if n o m essa ge is r eceived fr om t h e r a in sen sor
by t h e r a in sen sor con t r ol m odu le, t h e a u t om a t ic wip-
er s will be disa bled. If a u t om a t ic wiper s a r e disa bled,
n or m a l low a n d h igh speed con t in u ou s wiper oper a -
t ion a r e u n a ffect ed. Also, du e t o t h e low volt a ge
n a t u r e of t h e r a in sen sor sign a l a n d t h e im pa ct t h a t
m in or flu ct u a t ion s in t h is sign a l st r en gt h ca n h a ve
on wiper oper a t ion , gr ou n ded sh ieldin g cir cu it s a r e
pr ovided a t t h e r oof a n d con t r ol m odu le con n ect or s t o
con t r ol elect r ica l in du ct ion in t o t h e sen sor sign a l cir-
cu it .
Th e h a r d wir ed r a in sen sor cir cu it s m a y be dia g-
n osed u sin g con ven t ion a l dia gn ost ic t ools a n d m et h -
ods. H owever, con ven t ion a l dia gn ost ic m et h ods m a y
n ot pr ove con clu sive in t h e dia gn osis of t h e in t er n a l
cir cu it r y or t h e opt ics of t h e r a in sen sor. Refer t o t h e
a ppr opr ia t e wir in g in for m a t ion .
STAN DARD PROCEDU RE

RAIN SENSOR BRACKET REPLACEMENT

Th e r a in sen sor fit s wit h in t h e cen t er of a r in g-like
m olded pla st ic br a cket t h a t is glu ed t o t h e in side of
t h e win dsh ield gla ss a n d t h a t a lso ser ves a s t h e su p-
por t for t h e r ea r view m ir r or a r m . If t h e br a cket
sh ou ld com e loose fr om t h e win dsh ield, it m u st be
r ein st a lled u sin g a r ea r view m ir r or a dh esive kit a n d
t h e pr ocedu r e t h a t follows.
VA